As NYC & other cities across the country are celebrating the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot with their annual Pride parades & events we must address that our community once again is under enormous threat with the surge of over 600+ anti-LGBTQ state bills so far this year. The escalation of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric especially targeting our trans community are disturbing & devastatingly but are not new. I remember hearing about the Stonewall Riots in NYC in the summer of 1969 on my transistor radio. Then ten years later in 1979 I marched in my first NYC Pride at the 10th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot. The New York Times reported that “Homosexuals’ Parade Marks 10th Year of Rights Drive…With sympathetic parents in the line of march, tens of thousands of homosexual men & women walked from Christopher Street to Central Park yesterday to Commemorate the 10th anniversary of the “Stonewall Riot” which many consider the beginning of the national homosexual‐rights movement.” I remember being scared that someone from work may see me that could have resulted in the loss of my job but fortunately that did not happen. We have fought hard to gain the rights that we have & we’re succeeding. The radical right homophobes are afraid of our accomplishments or they wouldn’t be attempting to take away what we have achieved. Our beautiful younger generation who grew up during the Obama administration fear not. This is just a bump in the road to winning full equality. This past week Congress reintroduction of Equality Act. It going to take some time but be patient. In the meantime celebrate pride, be proud of who you are & what we have accomplished. I talked to lesbian Icon Leslie Cohen about the 50th anniversary of Stonewall & her spin on the future of our LGBTQ civil rights in this exclusive audio interview.
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